IRVINE Calif. Taco Bell asked rapper 50 Cent to change his name for a one-day promotion, and 50 Cent responded by calling the offer a “sleazy and ill-conceived publicity stunt” because it was leaked to the media before it was presented to his agent, according to OK! magazine.
OK! said it obtained a letter written by Taco Bell president Greg Creed, asking 50 Cent to visit one of the chain’s drive-thru windows and rap his order using the name 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent, which are the prices on Taco Bell’s new Why Pay More value menu.
If he agreed, the chain would donate $10,000 to the charity of his choice and feed everyone at the restaurant for free.
Taco Bell did not return a phone call seeking comment on the report.
Aspokesman for 50 Cent told OK! that the “disingenuous offer” was leaked to the media before the rapper saw it. 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, threatened to sue the chain.
Taco Bell is a division of Yum! Brands Inc. with nearly 5,600 U.S. units.